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High Desert and Prehistoric Peaks
A three-state journey across the Great Basin and the Colorado Plateau. This route bridges California’s high desert with Nevada’s mining heritage and Utah’s fossil-rich landscapes, following the corridors of US-95 and US-6.
3days
11stops
1442km
The route
Tap a day or a townYou sleep in Tonopah · Cedar City — start in Palmdale, end in Vernal.
DAY01
Palmdale → Mizpah Hotel
520 km · 5h 7m driving · long drive · Overnight in Mizpah Hotel
- 09:00Palmdale City Hall· start
- 94 km · 56m
- 11:42Red Rock Canyon
- 426 km · 4h 9m
- 14:24⭐ Tonopah Historic Mining Park
- 0.9 km · 2m
- 16:12Mizpah Hotel· overnight
DAY02
Tonopah → Cedar City
334 km · 3h 8m driving · Overnight in Cedar City Main Street
- 09:00Tonopah Station· start
- 1.6 km · 3m
- 12:00⭐ Cathedral Gorge
- 333 km · 3h 5m
- 15:00Cedar City Main Street· overnight
DAY03
Utah Shakespeare Festival Gro… → Vernal
588 km · 6h 4m driving · long drive
- 09:00Utah Shakespeare Festival Grounds· start
- 0.4 km · 1m
- 11:42USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum
- 377 km · 3h 34m
- 14:24⭐ Quarry Exhibit Hall
- 210 km · 2h 29m
- 16:12Vernal City Center
Heads Up
- Day 1: 5h 8m driving — plan rest stops
- Day 3: 6h 34m driving — plan rest stops
- Fuel stops are sparse between Tonopah and Cedar City; ensure your tank is full before leaving town.
- Verify seasonal hours for the Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument.
- Check for high wind advisories when driving through the Mojave and Great Basin stretches.